'Golden Globe winner Idris Elba is being touted as the next James Bond, while Naomie Harris gave a brilliant turn as Daniel Craig’s ballsy sidekick in Skyfall.' Photograph: Suzanne Tenner

When the Screen Nation film and TV awards, or the "black Baftas" as they were once dubbed, were conceived in 2003, they were very much needed. The event provided a valuable platform for up-and-comers and seasoned professionals alike to address the fact that talented black and minority ethnic actors were not getting the recognition they deserved from the industry.

Fast forward to 2012. Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe winner Idris Elba is being touted as the next James Bond, while Naomie Harris gave a brilliant turn as Daniel Craig's ballsy sidekick in Skyfall. Actor-director Noel Clarke is filming scenes in the hotly anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness, and David Harewood is currently busy running the CIA in Homeland. These are just a few examples of the high-profile roles being given to black British actors. The message – that they can break into the mainstream and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their white peers – is being heard loud and clear.

This year's Screen Nation awards will take place in London on Sunday and feature Harris, Harewood and Clarke among the nominees. Elba was honoured by the event last year for his role in BBC crime drama Luther. British black and minority ethnic actors are making their presence felt more than ever before, both at home and abroad – so why do they still need their own awards shows? Why should race play any part at all in the recognition of talented individuals?

Screen Nation's chief executive, Charles Thompson, insists the event is not about separating black actors from the rest of the industry, and should be seen as a positive celebration: "It is about representing people who are not being represented elsewhere," he says. "Take someone like Idris Elba, who was not initially appreciated in the UK. It was only when he went to the US that he got the break he needed and then went on to become a huge international success. We want to celebrate talent like that." Thompson also stresses the importance of creating role models who provide much-needed inspiration for young people of all races and backgrounds. "For some Screen Nation nominees, it is the first time they are acknowledged by the industry, and it is very important that they get that opportunity," he adds. As the varied list of Screen Nation nominees shows, much progress has been made in the past few years.

Of course, as with other professions, we still have a long way to go before racism is fully stamped out. Some black actors will face being pigeonholed and patronised simply because of their skin colour. Although progress is not being made at the fast pace many of us would like, the big production companies and studios, both here and in the US, should be commended for their recent efforts to become more inclusive and diverse. Audiences are playing an important role too, through the use of social media and online forums; their use has not only helped open up a debate about an ongoing lack of representation of minorities in art, it has also provided people with more public outlets to challenge questionable decisions, as demonstrated by the recent row over Lena Dunham's lack of black characters in her TV show Girls.

The US film industry is certainly no longer afraid to cast high-calibre black British actors in significant roles, so it may not be long before we see Harris, Harewood and Clarke taking to the stage to collect their Oscars. What better way to inspire the next generation and prove that whether they are black, white or Asian; male or female, they can, and will, be recognised purely for their talent? Elba did state last year that he didn't believe the Oscars were designed for "people like us", but if his phenomenal success continues, he may soon be proved wrong.

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